Twilight Princess: Aftermath
by harunekonya
Summary: The Hero's duties should have ended when he saved Hyrule, but the nobility, once again embroiled in politics, have other plans.
1. Chapter One: A Victim of Necessity

**A/N: **While I own the Wii version of the game, I've kept to the original layout of Hyrule (non-mirrored). Naturally none of this is mine. Much thanks to my beta Zalein for looking this over, because good betas are so hard to find.

**Chapter One: A Victim of Necessity**

"That is enough."

The council chamber rang with her voice, and the men in the luxurious wood paneled room fell silent, their protests dying on their lips.

"Your Majesty…"

"I said _enough_," Zelda said. "You will not ask me that question again, have I made myself clear?"

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, this is something even a royal command cannot silence," Lord Brennan said. He stood up, his graying brown hair held back by a simple band of embroidered cloth, a study of modesty in a room full of men dressed in overly decorated silks and precious metals. The others unconsciously deferred to him. Even the late King had valued his advice. "We do not ask you this question out of malice, Your Majesty. It is out of necessity. The country needs, no, demands an answer." He sat back down and looked at the princess expectantly.

"We made a promise," Zelda began.

"An ill-made promise," another council member said. "Had we been consulted, we would have advised you against making such a thing."

Zelda sighed, troubled, torn against doing what was best for her country and following her personal ethics. She'd made a promise, and did not wish to break it.

"Is there no other way?" she said.

"Your Majesty, my people are still frightened, terrified," Lord Markis said. As governor of the eastern farmlands, his territory had been one of the worst hit by the Twilii invasion. The tale of what had happened to Kakariko village still stirred terror in even the least affected of the nobility. "Confidence in the crown is at an all time low, and no amount of reassurance has been able to persuade them that the dangers are over. Especially when bands of monsters still roam near the ruins in Hyrule field."

"Monsters have always been near the ruins," Zelda said. "It is a hazard of crossing the field, everybody knows that."

"Not when the danger is supposed to be over! Not when there used to be at the very least soldiers to guard travelers," Lord Markis snapped, shooting out of his seat to glare at Zelda with a clear look of impatience. His plain brown hair and graying beard trembled from the force of his movement.

"There will need to be new recruiting campaigns also," Lord Corac, her Minister of Defense, added. "We've lost too many men to the Twilii invasion, and have little to spare to guard Hyrule field."

"The young men cannot leave," Lord Markis said testily. "They are needed in the villages to repair the damage the monsters had left, and harvest what is left of the crops."

"Speaking of crops, Hyrule Castle Town is in desperate need of food," the Royal Seneschal said, standing up. In his hand he held a list of stats. "Food price has already risen twenty percent. If this continues, there will be nothing that the commoners can afford. Soldiers have had to step in to prevent rioting."

"We have nothing in the warehouses?" Zelda asked.

"They are being emptied as we speak. I know it was presumptuous of me Your Majesty, but the need was great," the man assured her.

"No, I have always trusted your judgment in these matters," Zelda said. "Still, the warehouses can only last for so long. What other alternatives do we have?"

"We could trade with the Zoras, but as you know, their new King had just taken the throne. On top of that, a good deal of their crops had died during the sudden cold front now known to have been caused by the Twilii. Overtures have been sent, but as they are still suffering the aftermath of attacks, they may have none to spare," Lord Holvin said.

Though the nature of his news was upsetting, other than his clear annoyance at the situation, he showed no sign that it affected him overly much. Then again, the man was not given to concern over the non-human races. Not for the first time, Zelda wondered why her father had assigned the man as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Now it was too late to remove him, not without causing a political incident.

"No other nation will dare trade with us at the moment. Not when everything until now had been so unstable. And with us so weak, we may in fact be in danger of being invaded!" said Lord Corac.

The man had a point. Some of the countries bordering them seemed to harbor an endless appetite for lengthening their borders. What had happened with the Twilii had kept them away, but news of Hyrule's costly victory would have reached them by now.

"The farmers have enough to spare to ensure that Hyrule will be able to last through the winter," Lord Markis grudgingly conceded. "But no farmer is willing to travel at this time, unless there is something to assure them of safety."

"As we've said earlier, the Hero has taken care of things," Zelda said. "Ganon is defeated and will bother us no more."

"What proof do you have of this Your Majesty?"

"Did the Twilight that had cursed this kingdom not recede?" Zelda said with a little more force, growing impatient.

"I humbly remind Your Majesty that the force field that locked this castle away from the rest of Hyrule went up _after_ the Twilight disappeared. One moment there was danger, and the next moment, when all seemed well again, danger reappeared. The people do not know what to think at this point in time. For all they know something awful could happen again."

"The Hero…"

"The Hero!" Lord Markis said with disgust. "The Hero is a nebulous figure of myth. Nobody knows who he is. His actions are unknown and unseen by the majority of the populace, even the majority of the nobility. Do you expect to quell the fears of this country on the existence of a shadowy legend?"

"The people have always had faith that the Hero will save Hyrule. What is so different this time?" Zelda said, struggling to keep her voice even. But as she said it, she saw it for the pitiful plea it was.

"The difference, Your Majesty, is insignificant when the reality is before us."

The obvious answer was that times had changed. It had been a millennium since the last Hero, and with such a time gap, history easily became lost in myth until what was truth was no longer known. Under such circumstances, it was natural to be skeptical. To the farmer who depended on the very visible changes of the seasons, and the townspeople who spent their days working to make what few rupees they could, a myth did little.

Steadily, Zelda felt her resolve being worn away. The men of her Council were all correct on all counts. She could not deny the truth of the situation. In comparison to the fear and panic of an entire nation, what was one promise? One life?

"We need a face," Lord Brennan said gently, sensing his ruler's weakening resolve. "A very visible face to turn myth into fact."

"It will not solve all our problems in an instant," Zelda said.

"No, but it will do much to motivate the people. I'm sure we'll see an increase in army recruits if the Hero is known, and even an ambitious nation will hesitate to invade when they see that our legend has become reality," Lord Corac said with approval.

"And if the Hero does not come up to scrutiny?" Zelda asked.

"Based on the legends Your Majesty, I believe that I would be correct to presume that the Hero is a commoner, am I not correct?" At Princess Zelda's stony silence, Lord Corac allowed himself to smile. "Once he arrives, he will, out of necessity, need to be tutored and trained in protocol lest he offend the other nobles, but as he is the Hero, I'm again going to assume that he is an intelligent man and will learn quickly."

"His route must be slow. The people will want to see him," Lord Brennan said.

"Surely that can wait until after he arrives at the palace?" another council member objected.

"Point." Lord Brennan tilted his head in the other man's direction in a nod of recognition. Zelda knew that it was merely an act of courtesy. Lord Brennan was a man who was rarely thwarted from what he wanted. The last time he had not…

_Hyrule had fallen. On my watch._

"Perhaps it may be best that the Hero come here as soon as possible."

"He will still need an escort. Four soldiers at the very least."

"Not too many, or the procession will take forever."

As the Council Room grew with noise, Zelda watched the inevitable with a sinking heart. Finally her seneschal cleared his throat, and looked at the princess expectantly.

"All these plans are well and good. But first, Your Majesty, the members of the Council require a name and place." The look he gave her was the only sympathetic face of the lot, but like the other men, he was unyielding. "Princess Zelda, we of the Council formally ask you one last time: Who is the Hero?"

Zelda swallowed, wetting lips that suddenly felt far too dry. But at long last, she bowed her head. To one man, she was about to do the unforgivable, and nothing could induce her to do this with the pride of a royal scion.

"The Hero is from Ordon village…"

***

Over the bleating of the goats, Link could hear little. Then again, as a wrangler, he was not required to listen to anything else. Above him, the sky was the perfect shade of blue, and the grass the goats grazed upon was lush and verdant. Once the goats were out, there was little Link needed to do until herding time. He smiled, enjoying a moment of legitimate laziness. To his right, Epona reflected his actions as she cropped the grass along with the goats. But as he watched the bucolic scene below him, like the symptoms of an illness, his mind flashed with an image of a darker time: the nighttime field under the illumination of a full moon, him running, but in the grey body of a wolf.

He did not miss those times, not really. There had been nothing enjoyable about the constant fear and exhaustion, and even the adrenaline rush that came with a battle did little to alleviate the overwhelming feelings of guilt that came afterward. Monsters they may have been, but Link had not enjoyed killing them. When he'd been a wolf, he'd enjoyed the bitter taste of their flesh and blood in his mouth even less.

But as the flashback proved, they were not times Link could escape from either. Something inside him refused to settle, continued to long for those times, though if Link were asked what exactly he'd liked about it, Link would have been hard pressed to say anything.

Perhaps part of the reason was because Link could say nothing. The other members of the village sensed his reticence, and did not press him. Ilia occasionally looked at him quietly when she thought he was preoccupied, but she never voiced whatever it was she was thinking. As for Rusl, the two of them avoided the topic, not that the older man was in any mood to talk about anything other than his newborn daughter. Link was not looking forward to the day when Rusl could finally bear to pull his eyes away from little Hanya to confront him about the role he'd played when Hyrule had still been in danger. Perhaps it was wrong to doubt his friends, but Link sensed that there were some things that no amount of talking could explain.

And he knew without a doubt that no explanation about Midna would ever be understood.

There was too much about Midna he had yet to sort. Too many feelings, experiences, and memories tied to her that were both painful and pleasant, and like a coward, Link avoided them. He had a feeling that the flashbacks would end the second he stopped doing so, but as they were proving to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience at the moment, Link was content to wait. Hyrule was safe, his friends were protected, and Ordon prospered. He had plenty of time.

"Liiiiink! Heey, Link!"

Fado's large bulk towered even from across the grazing field. Link waved, but stopped smiling when he saw the tense agitation in his friend's stance. Fado kept motioning for Link to go to him, and seeing that, he whistled for Epona.

"What is it Fado?" Link asked when he and Epona reached the large man. Close up, he relaxed when he saw that despite the tension, the man was grinning with excitement.

"Members of the royal army!" Fado said. "Lord Brennan is here with another noble! They're commanding everybody in the village to gather."

"Lord Brennan?" Link repeated, shocked. The lord, as the man who governed the southern quadrant of Hyrule, spent the majority of his time in Hyrule Castle Town. On the rare times he chose to visit his area, Ordon village, despite being famed for its pumpkins and goat cheeses, had always been passed over.

"Come on, hurry!"

"Where are we gathering?" Link asked as he got off Epona. Instead, leading Epona by the reins, the two of them walked down the hill from the ranch, careful to close the gates behind them lest several of the goats took it in their heads to go exploring.

"Outside Mayor's house," Fado answered cheerfully. "Why do you think they're here?"

"I don't know," Link said honestly. He had purposely paid little attention to news from outside Ordon village.

"Mayor says that it's about the unrest outside. Some people are still frightened," Fado said. "They're probably just here to reassure us."

"Ordon is fine," Link said.

"Well, they wouldn't know that, would they? Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little extra warning."

Link let Fado continue to chatter happily while he thought about what his friend had just said. Unrest outside of Ordon? Ruefully, he realized that he should have paid attention to the news from outside after all. There was little that he, Link of Ordon, could do though.

_But what about the Hero?_

The Hero, Link told himself, had done his job and defeated Ganon. In all the tales, the Hero had never done more than that. But his niggling conscience refused to give him rest.

They paused by the final gateway to Ordon village where Link left Epona, giving her a final pat of reassurance. Epona was not convinced, and gave him a soft nudge in the back that was somewhat comforting. Even from the gate, Link could see the gathering of the other villagers. On the steps of Mayor's house were two men dressed in traveling clothes that nevertheless looked finer than anything he had ever worn. One of them must be Lord Brennan. Next to the house, looking alert on ten matching black geldings were soldiers of the Royal army, their armor glinting in the sunlight. Fado looked impressed, but Link resisted a snort of laughter. In his stint as a wolf, he'd learned just how ineffective those soldiers were, never mind the shiny breast plates.

Ilia was standing on the outer edge of the crowd, and seeing the two of them arriving, hurriedly waved to them.

"Come quick! You two are one of the last!" she whispered excitedly. "Though we're still waiting for Hanch. He's always late!"

Just then Hanch came rushing in from wherever he'd been, thin hands wringing nervously while he stumbled behind his formidable wife. Seeing her husband, Sera let out a sigh of exasperation.

"W-we're all gathered, My Lord," Mayor said, one hand nervously playing with his moustache. Though it was his house, he stood with everyone else, the only concession to his status as mayor being his proximity to the two nobles on the steps.

"Good. Then we shall begin," said the man dressed in an expensive-looking padded blue tunic. His brown hair was shoulder length, mixed liberally with gray, and beneath his belt, there was evidence of a paunch. Still, though the man must have journeyed far to reach Ordon, he did not look winded, which to Link's eyes showed that he was not a man unused to travel.

"I am Lord Corac, Minister of Defense," the man next to him said. In contrast to the first man, who must be Lord Brennan, Lord Corac was dressed in black leathers trimmed in silver. He looked to be around the same age as Lord Brennan, but was lean and toned. On the right shoulder was Hyrule's royal crest, and his severe expression revealed a man who took his position seriously. "Next to me is Lord Brennan, whom I'm sure you've heard of. Today, we come to deliver a message from Her Majesty Princess Zelda." With a nod to Lord Brenan, the man stepped back.

"As you no doubt know, for the past two years Hyrule had been under the invasion of monsters," Lord Brennan said. At this, the village burst into whispers. Ignoring them, Lord Brennan continued. "Hyrule Castle Town too had been attacked, and for months, our citizens suffered under the monster's tyranny." His face was grim.

"However, we have come to tell you that such times are finally over," Lord Corac said, taking over. His voice carried over the villagers with little effort. "Thanks to the heroic efforts of Hyrule's Legendary Hero and Her Majesty Princess Zelda, our enemy was soundly defeated, and Hyrule is once again safe."

Link felt his stomach flutter. Again, the people gathered burst into whispers. Standing in the center of the other villagers was Rusl, and Link watched as Rusl whispered to Uli, but the man did not look at him.

"Unfortunately, after the invasion, Hyrule has been left weak, the army decimated. After this, we will be asking for loyal young men to join the royal army." Beside him, Link felt Fado stiffen in anticipation. Lord Corac continued. "And there are some who still doubt her Royal Highness, believing Hyrule to still be dangerous."

"Who would doubt Her Majesty?" It was Rusl, and his eyes shone with outrage.

"Some would," Lord Corac replied gravely, though he did not turn in the direction of the voice. "And Her Majesty, in her wisdom, does not blame them for it. Instead, she offers irrevocable proof that the kingdom of Hyrule is safe once more." He held out a hand toward the crowd. "We come to show you the Hero!"

A chill settled in the pit of Link's stomach, and refused to leave.

"The Hero!" Fado exclaimed. He was not the only one. It was being repeated by everyone in the village.

"The Hero, here!" Link heard Talo shout excitedly, practically climbing over his brother Malo to get a better look at the men standing before the villagers. "I wonder which one he is!"

Lord Brennan stepped forward once again, and raised a hand to silence the villagers. Immediately they quieted, waiting in anticipation, but nothing could stop the continuous murmurs as each member of the village shared his excitement.

"Indeed, I was very proud to find out the Hero came from none other than our very own southern forests," he said. Then he looked in the crowd, as if searching for someone. Fingers of ice trailed down Link's spine when his gaze passed by over him.

"Which one of you is Link of Ordon?" Lord Corac roared, his eyes too, looking deeply into the crowd.

A deathly silence fell over the members of the village. One by one, each person turned his head, until every member of Ordon was staring in stunned disbelief in Link's direction. Link felt their stares, but could not bear to meet them. There was only one reason why any member of the Hylian nobility would know his name, and that could only mean one thing. The chill that had settled in his stomach began to spread, and he felt his emotions disappear, to be replaced by a sharp, battle-like awareness. There will be time for resentment and anger later, but right now, Link could not allow himself that luxury.

"Will Link please show himself?" Lord Brennan said, as if still unaware of who he was. The expression on his face showed otherwise. His eyes, coldly calculating, sized up Link the same way a farmer sized up a prize pig. Beside him, Lord Corac did the same, though there was a certain incredulous quality to the man's gaze.

"You called, My Lord?" Link said quietly. Link watched as a flicker of satisfaction passed through both men.

Lord Brennan was first. The man walked down the steps, not seeming to notice the way the villagers parted before him as he headed in Link's direction. Lord Corac was not far behind. A cool expression had replaced the man's first look of incredulity, and Link could not tell what Lord Corac was thinking behind that mask.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Hero," Lord Brennan said, reaching out to clasp Link's hands in his. The man's grip was firm, the palm of his hand cool and dry to Link's touch.

"I as well," Lord Corac said. "It is not every day that one meets a living myth."

Link had no idea what to say in response to such a statement, so he kept silent.

"You've certainly hid yourself well," Lord Brennan said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Ordon village would have been the last place I would have thought to look for the legendary Hero."

"You have not studied your history well enough, Lord Brennan." Lord Corac laughed. "The Hero has always been a commoner, though judging by your fellow villagers, you've hidden yourself so well not even they'd guessed who you truly were."

"It explains the village's prosperity at any rate," the other man said mildly. "With the Hero to personally protect them, what village wouldn't prosper?"

Link stayed silent, struggling to keep his expression neutral, but he could not control the trembling of his arms. Their words, casually spoken, were purposely designed to injure, to mock and to scorn. There was little reason for it as far as he could see, and even as the remarks stung, he felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. Who were these men, who spoke one thing but meant another, and hid each insult in a veneer of sweet compliments?

"Come, we have a command from Her Majesty, and we will need to discuss it with you in private." Lord Brennan gave a nod toward Mayor, who still had a look of astonishment on his face. "Forgive us for the presumption."

"T-the house is all yours My Lords!" Mayor exclaimed. "Please use it for as long as you wish!"

"You have our gratitude."

A hand moved behind Link to rest on his right shoulder, and he felt himself gently maneuvered toward Mayor's house. As he walked past the rest the others and headed toward a door hastily opened by one of the soldiers, he caught sight of Rusl's face.

There was a mixture of emotions on his mentor's face that Link recognized immediately, but one stood out from the rest. His heart clenched painfully when he saw what it was.

Burned forever in his mind was Rusl's expression of betrayal.


	2. Chapter Two: To Say Farewell

**A/N:** Thank you to everybody who commented! I always appreciate them, no matter how short they are, and to all of you who reviewed, you have my sincerest gratitude. Once again, this chapter could not have been complete with my beta, zalein. As usual, the world of Zelda is not mine, and this story is written purely for entertainment. That said, on with the story!

**Chapter Two: To Say Farewell**

Brennan looked at the young man, and could not quite hide the feeling of satisfaction he felt. Yes, the boy will do.

He had initially had some doubts after the princess had told him where the Hero lived, but this boy perfectly fit the image of what a Hero should look like. Dressed in the cheap hemp and cotton of a common goat wrangler, he nevertheless stood straight and tall. Life as a wrangler had given him a good deal of muscle, but it was lean, rather than overly big. It was the perfect balance between muscle-bound and effete. And the boy was certainly striking. Definitely handsome, in a way that would no doubt make the ladies of the court swoon. Though the boy did not seem aware of his good looks, Brennan would be surprised if the boy did not turn heads whenever he ventured out of his village.

The look in the boy's blue eyes were sharp, an indication of intelligence. Brennan had seen that shift, and he knew Corac had as well. In the moment when his name had been called, both of them had seen the boy change from naive peasant to alert warrior. Young though he was, the boy had learned to set aside his emotions and think with his head.

He nearly chuckled at the turn of his thoughts. Considering what the Hero must have gone through to save Hyrule, he would have been forced to learn this, or else die. Still, enough youth and naiveté remained, and while the boy may be able to keep a clear head in the heat of battle, he had yet to experience the verbal battlefield of politics. Brennan had seen the trembling of the boy's arms, had known that his conversation with Corac had hit home. So the boy was smart enough to know when he was being insulted, but had not yet learned to keep those feelings to himself. Good. Until the boy learned, he will be easy to influence. And Brennan intended to make sure that the boy was kept so off balance that the learning process will be long indeed.

"Link, was it?" he said, and noted the boy's body language. Tense with the expectation of more verbal blows. He smiled. "I admit I had my doubts, when Her Majesty told me where you were from." Brennan turned toward Corac. "And it looks like Lord Corac still has his."

Corac was a veteran of politics. He did not so much as blink at the comment.

"Forgive me Hero, for doubting you. But I had quite a different image."

"Now you're the one who hasn't been paying attention to your history," Brennan said. "The Hero has always been young. Most commonly, the Hero would have been a farmer with little to no weapons experience."

"This is true," Corac said. "My sincerest apologies, Hero."

"Did you have to learn how to fight along the way, or had you already known how before you were called to your duty?" Brennan asked.

"I was taught to handle a sword by one of the men in the village," Link said evenly. His delivery was so similar to Corac's that it took all of Brennan's self control to maintain an even façade. It had been a mistake to verbally spar with Corac. The boy had immediately noticed the way Corac had handled the jabbing and learned what to do. Not merely intelligent, but observant.

"Still, I imagine that you must have learned a lot during your travels. Perhaps you will show us when you accompany us around Hyrule," he said. Brennan was relieved to see the boy's eyes flash with alarm. Intelligent and observant the Hero may be, but not preternaturally so.

"Travel, My Lord?"

"Aye, that is the command of Her Majesty. Even though you have defeated the great evil, Hyrule remains in turmoil. The citizens of Hyrule need the Hero to reassure him. We hope that, with your presence, it will calm the people and give them the strength and confidence to resume their lives."

Based on the way the boy tensed with each word he spoke, it was unwelcome news. Not surprising, considering how much the princess had resisted breaking her promise to the boy. To have the princess promise never to reveal who he was only to later be told that he was to parade himself before all of Hyrule under the command of the very same princess must seem like the height of betrayal.

"We will tour across Hyrule, passing every large town and village along the way," Corac said, taking over. "For the most part, we will be staying a quarter of a day at each village we pass, and an entire day in each town. We will, of course, complete the tour at the palace, where Her Majesty will honor and award you as is your due."

It was fascinating to watch the boy struggle to hide his emotions. This was certainly the first time he'd ever seen a young man feel pained at being told that he is to be personally awarded by the princess. What an interesting person the Hero was.

"If that is what Her Majesty wishes," Link said. From the look on the boy's face, he was reaching his limit.

"If you should desire it, we will provide you with a map and a schedule so you will have some idea where we're headed each time," Brennan added. Then he paused briefly for effect. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask… you _do_ know how to read, don't you?"

This time the boy didn't even try to answer.

"Of course you know how, forgive me for even asking," Brennan said smoothly. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a thin envelope. "Here. Her Majesty commanded that I give this personally to you. You are welcome to read it when you're alone."

"Get some rest," Corac said. "Tomorrow we leave at first light."

Taking it as a dismissal the boy gave each man a bow before backing away slowly. Despite himself, Brennan was impressed by the way the boy managed to maintain his composure until the very end. His departure was smooth, even graceful.

When the door finally shut, Corac turned to him, eyes hard.

"What are you playing at, Lord Brennan?" he snapped.

"Testing our Hero," Brennan replied.

"He hasn't been tested enough already?" Corac said sardonically.

"The tour of the country, if we're on schedule, will take a little more than a year. When he arrives at the palace, what do you think will greet him there?"

Corac narrowed his eyes. "You surely don't mean to say that Her Majesty will try to give the boy a ranking position."

"Nothing of the sort, but he will be under the scrutiny of the nobility from all over, all of them ruthlessly ambitious. Ambassadors from neighboring countries will also be there, watching him. If he shows weakness, none of them will hesitate to exploit it. And since we're turning the boy into a symbol of Hyrule…"

"A weakness in the Hero is a weakness in Hyrule," Corac said, now understanding.

The man still did not look pleased. Corac was a military man, and like any soldier, he disliked the subtle political maneuverings of court. His elevation to Minister of Defense eventually forced him to adapt, but although he understood the way politics worked, he did not approve of it. Judging by the man's reaction to Brennan's testing, he may even have a good amount of empathy for the boy. Brennan made a mental note to walk carefully around the minister. It would not do to create an enemy.

"In view of the boy's performance today, I think we can both agree that he still has a long way to go," Brennan said. "Even a year may not be enough to properly train the boy."

Corac gave him a measuring look.

"You may be surprised," he said curtly.

Without another word he too went out the door.

***

Though it had felt like an eternity inside Mayor's house, when Link left, the sun was only just starting to sink. It would still be a while before full evening set in. Whatever had happened between the time he'd been trapped with the nobles and the time when he could finally escape, the result was that no one was waiting outside except for the soldiers still standing guard around the house. To him they gave him a respectful nod. Link returned the nod, and made his way to the path that led to the house he'd lived in for as long as he'd remembered.

The path was suspiciously empty of people, something Link found both upsetting yet relieving. At the moment, all of his control over his emotions were breaking down, and now was not the time for the people of Ordon to see Link fly into a fit of frustrated temper. He trudged along the path, his mind overly aware of each tiny stray pebble and unrepentant weed. It was as if his subconscious was aware of just how tense he was, and was grabbing at any excuse to keep him calm.

Link was exhausted. Until today, he would not have thought that a simple conversation could be so tiring, but it felt like he'd just got done stumbling off a battlefield. Which, in retrospect, he now realized he had. Not a battle he was used to fighting to be sure, but the similarities were obvious, once he knew what to look for. Odd, that in some ways, it was harder than a physical fight. At least when he'd been fighting monsters, the enemy had been obvious, the battle clear cut, with a definite start and finish. But this… Link thought back to Lord Brennan and Lord Corac. They were nobles of Hyrule, and presumably allies. Yet neither of them acted like allies. And certainly not friends.

_Midna hadn't seemed like a friend at first either._

The statement made him pause, as he fought the instinctive urge to reject that line of thought and actually _think_. In the beginning, Midna had been anything but a friend. She'd been more abusive than anything, a commanding, arrogant imp who'd found amusement in making verbal stabs at his expense. More than once, Link had found himself hating her, yet circumstances had not given him much choice but to follow her orders. It had been a very long time before she'd revealed that in truth, she'd needed him as much as he'd needed her.

Now that was certainly interesting. Lord Brennan had mentioned that they'd needed him to reassure the people of Hyrule, and since it matched with what Fado had told him earlier, it could even be true. He sighed. While he still didn't understand why the man felt the need to engage in verbal battles, it made things slightly more acceptable, though Link suspected that he was going to get very tired of it before long.

With a part of his thoughts sorted out, Link resumed his walk. By the time he'd reached the gate that separated his home from the rest of Ordon, the sun had begun to set in earnest, and the area around his home was bathed in multiple shades of red and orange.

A familiar whinny came in the direction of his house, and he spotted Epona swinging her tail beneath the branches of the oak next to his house. Only one person could lead Epona back home.

"Ilia," he said.

"Link," she said, rounding the corner until they were face to face. "I…" she paused. "I figured, since today is your last day here that I might bring Epona back…" She swallowed, and her eyes looked inordinately bright under the shadows of the setting sun. "…Just one last time."

"Thank you," Link said, truly meaning it. They stood in front of each other in awkward silence, and for the first time he noticed something about the way she eyed him that went a good deal deeper than friendship. It filled him with a pang of regret. Once upon a time, he might have been able to return those feelings, but then he noticed the light dim in her eyes. Without saying a word, Ilia had realized what his answer was.

"The soldiers told us," she said softly. "You're leaving tomorrow at first light."

"Yes," he replied.

"Do you remember?" Ilia suddenly said, the tone of her voice lively. She swung her arms and clasped them behind her back. "The first time you were about to leave Ordon on a journey? Remember what I'd said to you?"

"Don't try to do more than what…" Link began, but Ilia cut him off with another twirl.

"You do remember!" she exclaimed. And then she laughed, but it wasn't the melodic, light-hearted laugh Link used to remember. This was self-deprecating, and bitter. "Now that I think about it, it was an awfully silly thing to say to you. Not when you… you're the…"

"Ilia," Link said. "I… I'm… Neither of us had known back then. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Ilia said. "I'm sorry. All those times, telling you not to do more than you're able to, when all along…" She bit her lip. "You were the Hero."

Link winced.

"Don't call me that, please. I never… I never wanted to be the Hero." He struggled with the words, trying to say what he felt. "All I did was do what needed to be done. It doesn't make me the Hero."

"Oh Link," Ilia said. She looked at him sadly. "Do you know how few people can say that?"

"I can't help it," Link said. "You know that."

"I know," she said. "Believe me, I know. And you'd think, knowing you as well as I do, that I'd at least have guessed. But it never occurred to me." Slowly her hands separated, resting at her side. Next to her, Epona whickered, but stood her ground. "I knew you were involved in something dangerous. I just never realized, and well, I guess I'm mad at that." Seeing Link's expression of alarm, she rushed ahead with her words. "No, not at you Link. At myself."

"There's no reason to be mad," Link said. "I… while I was doing what I was doing, I didn't really think about it much either. Even now, there are still many things I don't want to think about," he finally admitted.

Ilia looked away.

"Rusl's hurt you know," she said. "He thinks you should have told him."

"I wanted to tell him…"

"I know. And Uli knows too. Don't worry about Rusl, Link. He'll understand eventually. He's just mad at himself, like I am. I think it's because we know you so well." She turned to look at him again. "But really, it's weird, isn't it? We were talking about it while you were in the house. None of us ever guessed, but when the truth came out, it explained so much. And now that I think about it, if anyone should be the Hero…" She smiled softly, and this time, it was a smile of pure joy. "If anyone should be the Hero, it's you."

A burning filled his eyes, and Link's vision blurred.

"I never wanted to be the Hero."

"You wouldn't," Ilia said, agreeing without hesitation. "You're too gentle. And if you'd gone through half of what I imagine you'd gone through, it must have been horrible. But Link," And this time, the look she gave him was grave. "Only you could have done it."

She leaned forward, and Link felt Ilia's arms encircle him until she was fully embracing him.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered into his chest. Then she backed away. As her warmth left him, Link felt a sudden burst of panic.

"We'll always be friends," he blurted out.

"Of course, don't be silly," she said. At the last word her voice cracked, and the last golden rays of the sun illuminated the trail of tears freely flowing down her cheeks. And then with one sharp pivot, she ran back down the hill and past the gate. "And take care of Epona!" he heard her shout.

At her parting comment, Link smiled.

***

Nobody came to see him after Ilia. Remembering Ilia's parting words, Link took special care to see to Epona's needs. Epona as always enjoyed the treatment, leaning into each stroke of the soft brush until her coat shone under the quickly disappearing sun. Satisfied, Link reluctantly turned toward the house and began the arduous process of packing.

He'd kept most of the weapons he'd gathered during his journeys. Most of them had been carefully packed away with the assumption that he'd never have to use them again. Now he brought them out again, biting a lip at all the things he'd managed to accumulate. Some of the weapons, like the ball and chain and the spinner, would be difficult to carry. Not that they hadn't been when he'd journeyed through Hyrule, but Midna had been able to take up the slack with her special brand of magic. Somehow Link doubted that such a thing would be available to him. Still, he took out a sturdy trunk and set about packing them carefully inside. None of the weapons, least of all the various bombs he'd collected, were things he wanted to leave unguarded here. Some things were invaluable. Carefully, he bundled the Dominion Rod into the trunk he'd now designated as "things he dare not leave behind".

Others that could be immediately useful were set aside. The Hero's Bow, both clawshots, and his slingshot were laid out to later be bundled on Epona in the morning. Link wondered, as he hefted the Ordon sword, if he had been overly hasty in returning the Master Sword back to its original place, but common sense reasserted itself. Nothing could match the Master Sword of course, but it was no longer needed.

It was late into the night when Link was finally finished packing. Most of the things he was taking with him were his weapons. He had few enough clothes as it was, and Link knew that he wouldn't be wearing them much. Link sighed, and looked at the folded green tunic he'd set on top of the closed trunk. Ironic, that he'd be forced to wear them just when he'd finally gotten used to his wrangler outfit again.

Link assumed that food wouldn't be a problem, but he'd packed all of his extra potions just in case. Then he tested the weight of his trunk, and grimaced. This was definitely not something a pack animal could carry indefinitely. A wagon will be needed. He hadn't seen one when he'd been down in the village, but that could mean nothing.

"Perhaps I should have asked Midna to teach me magic while I'd still had the chance," he said into the empty room.

The weight of the day finally caught up to him, and Link sat down heavily on the floor, feeling that as far as comfortable beds went, the floor wasn't such a bad place. A crinkle of paper caught his attention just as he was about to curl up, the rug transformed into impromptu bedding. Sleepily, he pulled the crumpled letter out his belt, forgotten until now.

Princess Zelda's letter. He sighed. Did he want to read it?

The red wax was sealed, but not with the official royal seal, and the letter was extremely thin, a detail he found intriguing despite himself. Link broke the seal, inadvertently ripping part of the paper as he did so. Slowly he unfolded it.

There was only the one sheet, but the paper was mostly empty. In small, delicate handwriting, were but three words.

_I'm sorry. Zelda._

***

He was awakened by the sound of wheels and the grunting of heavy oxen. The sky was still dark, though the stars had disappeared. Not quite dawn, but definitely close.

"Milord Hero, are you ready?"

"Just about," he called out, jumping to his feet from the floor which he'd ended up falling asleep on after all. Hastily, he splashed water on his face from the basin he always had ready, drying his face with a rag.

"Anything you need to put on the wagon, milord?" one of the soldiers asked when he opened the door.

"Just one trunk," he said, pointing to chest he'd packed with all the weapons.

It took three soldiers to get the trunk in place on the wagon already packed with various bundles. He assumed those were travel food, though there were also crates and barrels of more things he couldn't even begin to guess at, and some things that looked suspiciously like tents. All this was lashed tightly down with a waterproof canvas.

"We'll meet you back in the village then, milord," another soldier said with a salute.

The sun had barely started to rise when Link, riding Epona, arrived in the village proper. A crowd had gathered, and Link saw Ilia at the very front.

"You certainly look the part of the legendary Hero," Lord Brennan said, his eyes closely observing Link's attire. Link was back to wearing the green tunic and everything that came with it, including the chainmail underneath. He'd oiled the leathers the night before, and though they looked worn, nobody could deny their quality. Even his shoes seemed to shine, a trick he'd learned from a young scamp during one of his many trips through Hyrule Castle Town. "Yes, you definitely look like the Hero." The lord laughed, looking impressive as well in a brown velvet tunic embroidered in the colors of autumn leaves. "I believe Lord Corac will finally be mollified when he sees you dressed like this."

Link chose to dismount instead of replying. Perhaps if the man learned that his comments will be ignored, he'll stop making them. Not that it had ever discouraged Midna, but he'll think of something else when the time came.

"Good morning, Lord Brennan, Lord Corac," he greeted.

Lord Brennan smiled, and behind him, Lord Corac, once again dressed in the same black leathers he'd worn the day before, paused in his steps, his mouth dropping slightly open.

"Good morning to you, Hero!" Lord Corac said, once he'd gotten over his shock. He said nothing else however, but then again, he didn't really need to.

"Have you eaten yet?" Lord Brennan asked.

"Yes, thank you."

The villagers murmured amongst one another, and Link tried to avoid looking at anyone in the face. He saw Lord Brennan nod at him, and remounted.

"Goodbye Link!"

Colin, pushing past Ilia to rush to the front, waved vigorously.

"Goodbye!" Talo followed Colin, and he was soon joined by Beth and Malo.

"Don't forget to write to us!"

"Show the other villagers what a man from Ordon is like!"

Link turned toward the voice, and saw Rusl, brimming with pride. Beside him stood Uli, holding Hanya in her arms. She said nothing, but the smile on her face was bright. Stunned, Link could say nothing, except to look at each smiling face. Some looked tearful, like Pergie. Others, like Rusl, were grinning broadly.

"Wait for me at Hyrule Castle Town!" Fado called. "I'm gonna join the army!"

Mayor came up beside Epona, and clasped Link's right hand with both hands.

"It'll be hard to find a new successor Link, but well, you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. "We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I'll miss all of you," Link said softly. Then louder, so everyone can hear, "Thank you for everything. Thank you."

That seemed to be the signal to leave. In a cloud of dust, Lord Corac took off, Lord Brennan by his side. Link followed suit, and the soldiers surrounded the three of them, providing escort. Behind them was the wagon pulled by the oxen.

When they rounded the path in the direction of Faron Woods, the people of Ordon village were still waving.


	3. Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero

**A/N:** Zelda belongs to Nintendo and is not mine. Once again, much thanks to my beta Zalein. I could not have done this without her. Also, a thousand thanks to everybody who has reviewed thus far--to a writer, your reviews are worth a hundred times more than anything else--if I don't reply to your reviews, it's not on purpose. To those who put this story on story alert, I can only wish that I am able to thank you all personally. And finally for those I might have inadvertently missed, thank you, thank you, thank you!

**Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero**

Even at a casual trot, the sound of hooves upon the dirt road made conversation difficult, the horses and oxen kicking up puffs of dust that would announce their presence to any enemy watching for them. Brennan would have liked to go faster—Hyrule field was not a place a wise person spent any long time in—but they were limited by the wagon of supplies behind them, something even the Hero had said contained items that could not be moved by horseback. He frowned briefly. It was true that they had the advantage of the Hero to protect them, but thus far Brennan had seen no evidence of the great warrior the Hero was supposed to be, for all that he was at Brennan's side near constantly now.

In the legends, the Hero had always been said to work alone, blending into the populace without ever revealing who he was. Isolation seemed to appeal to the Legendary Heroes of old, and from what he saw, the current Hero was no different. Though it was obvious to Brennan that the boy disliked every moment of the fawning he received, to the people he kept a pleasant front. It was only in the evenings when things became more obvious. There were times at night when the boy was no where to be found, only to mysteriously reappear in the morning. Brennan had no doubt that the boy was using those nights to deal with whatever feelings he'd been forced to hide during the day.

It had been a month since they'd begun their journey. In between that time, they'd gone through thirteen villages and spent the night at five different large towns. The response from the people at each stop had all been gratifyingly appreciative. Brennan tried not to be a self-satisfied man, but it was nice to be proven correct, and the princess would soon receive a report saying just that, though not in such plain words. The people had been starving for reassurance from the Crown, and the presence of the Hero had been accepted without question.

"We will cross into Eldin province in just a few moments Milord," one of the escorting soldiers said, pulling up next to Brennan.

"I see. Tell your men to increase their guard," he said quietly back.

"Yes sire."

Eldin province. It was the largest province in the eastern quadrant, a problem area if there ever was one. Even before the Twilii invasion, the area had suffered from constant raids from the beasts of the dark. When there weren't raids, the land itself was a problem. Much of the land was inhospitable to humans. Only the toughest grasses grew on the mountains bordering eastern Hyrule, and those were few and far between. The Gorons, being what they were, thrived in the mountains, but they were a temperamental bunch, subject to unpredictable moods. Brennan was glad that his area was to the south. If he'd been assigned to watch over this province, he may very well have ended up as short-tempered as Markis.

"Hero," Brennan said, watching the boy closely. On his left, Link rode his chestnut mare with ease, showing no obvious sign of what he was feeling at the moment.

"Yes, Lord Brennan?"

"How familiar are you with Eldin province?"

There was a pause, as the boy seemed to assess his question. Brennan bit back a chuckle of amusement. Link had taken to doing that in his presence lately, no doubt because he'd grown tired of Brennan's verbal jabs.

_Pausing won't stop them coming, boy._

"Assuming that nothing has changed, both bokoblins and bulblins occupy the southern entrance into Kakariko village, though they remain largely on foot. Bulblins riding bulbos patrol the ruins near Eldin bridge, and beyond the bridge lies the territory of several kargaroks, though they often enter Eldin province," the boy said quietly, seemingly unaffected by the monsters he had so casually listed. "They might avoid a large group, but I can't be sure."

"You've gone up against them before."

"Yes."

Again, with the too neutral tone. The boy mentioned nothing of how many there actually were, nor did he mention how difficult they were to fight. He'd left it out on purpose of course, and as Brennan continued to study the carefully neutral façade upon the boy's face, he had to wonder what that meant. Either he was struggling to hide his terror—understandable, if he had faced them before—or perhaps the monsters truly didn't matter to him. Unbelievable, if that was the case, and Brennan would have a great deal more difficulty dealing with the implications of the latter than the former. Then again… He suppressed another frown. The boy _was_ the Hero.

"We'll have you to count on then, should the monsters attack our party," Brennan said, forcing out a smile he did not feel. He was a realistic man, but the boy's clear and succinct description of the beasts was unwelcome news. "We've been lucky until now," he added, secretly hoping the boy wouldn't confirm his statement.

"Yes, very lucky."

"Then let's hope we reach Darunia Town safely."

The boy said nothing in reply.

***

Link felt Lord Brennan pull away, but derived no satisfaction from knowing that in this verbal battle the lord had come off second best. Even in loss the older man won, an aspect of verbal battles Link was growing to hate. There had been nothing in the older man's smooth smile, nothing to indicate that anything Link had said had struck home. At least in a physical battle, even a mistaken blow had sent the Golden Wolf to the floor. Dealing with monsters was much easier.

He could not sense any enemies on the road directly before them, but that meant little in an area as wide as Hyrule field. They had entered the field a week ago, and the field throughout that time had remained suspiciously clear of beasts. Even the sky was empty of them, though Link had always been able to spot a few kargaroks in the sky no matter where in Hyrule field he went. Link highly doubted this was because Ganon's defeat had wiped them out. That meant they were gathering somewhere, preparing for an attack.

Which also meant it could happen at any moment.

His muscles tensed in anticipation. A part of him looked forward to such an attack, and for once Link didn't even need to think about why. The past month had been doubly frustrating and stressful, and Link longed for a legitimate reason to let it out. If only the enemy could be obliging and attack while they were still on the road.

No such luck.

It was late afternoon when the roofs of the tiny town of Darunia appeared in the distance. The town appeared prosperous despite the dull red of the mountains that sheltered it. Link had never gone near the town during his travels, choosing to camp outside instead. During the winter months Epona had been warm, and Midna had been a better night guard than anyone else he could have hoped for. His heart sank when it became clear that there were banners, though they still looked like nothing but flapping shadows at the moment. Somehow, word had reached the town, which meant that there would definitely be a long ceremony and festival tonight, and Link would be obligated to make his presence felt.

"They're expecting us," Lord Corac said. "Fen, Pahmer, you ride on ahead. Unfurl the banners."

Two of the soldiers immediately departed, carrying large green triangular pennons with the golden mark of Hyrule's royal crest stitched in the center.

"Are you ready, Hero?" Lord Brennan said quietly beside him.

Link wished with all his heart that he could honestly say what he felt.

"Yes," he said instead.

He did not see Lord Brennan's smile, but felt it all the same. The man knew it was a lie of course. There was little the lord missed.

A crowd had gathered at the town entrance, a solid wooden gate bound by thick iron attached to walls that were the same sandy red as the mountains shadowed in the background. The scouts had done their job, and a path had been cleared all the way to the town center, which Link could see even from the entrance. Though Darunia was one of the bigger population centers in Eldin province, it was still small. Much of the town structures had been dedicated to defense building, resulting in the thick wall surrounding the town itself. It looked formidable enough, but then, the red cliffs that had protected Karariko village had been formidable also.

"…do you see?"

"…wonder who's the Hero…"

"…silly, one wearing green…must be…"

"He's handsome…!"

Lord Brennan's face was bland, though Lord Corac had a twinge of a smile. The two lords or course, found it extremely amusing, viewing the villagers' and townsfolk's awe and worship with a kind of patronizing smugness that Link disliked. By now Link had begun to grow resigned to the worship, though he could not yet suppress the tension he felt under the attention of far too many people. He schooled his expression into something he hoped was suitably Hero-like: serious, but not to the point where it was frightening.

They reached the town center quickly, with the townsfolk closing behind them to all gather in the center. There weren't many of them. Certainly no more than several hundred people. Link estimated no more than five hundred, perhaps a little less.

In a small town like Darunia the town center was simply an open area of empty space. Several townsfolk had attempted to make it more than that. A crude stage and podium stood in the center, decorated with simple yellow banners with the triforce hastily stitched in the center of each. Someone had even used up precious water to slightly wet the area to keep the dust down. Link sighed. As if they weren't covered in road dust already. A little more wouldn't make a difference.

Next to the podium stood an excited looking man who betrayed his true feelings with the nervous wringing of his thick, sun-browned hands. He was not a big man, though he did not look unused to hard work, and wore a simple white tunic with a green vest and trousers. No doubt they were his best. Link spotted creases where someone must have hastily ironed it.

"M-my Lords! Welcome to the humble town of Darunia! We are honored by your presence," he said, becoming smoother the more he talked. "I am Baldwig, mayor of this town." He finished with a clumsy bow, the thinning brown hair on his head revealing that he may soon accurately match his name.

Lord Brennan returned the bow from his seat on his horse, a palomino gelding that looked brown from all the travel dust.

"We are glad to be here in the honored town of Darunia," Lord Brennan replied cheerfully, with just enough solemnity to make it feel like a formal proclamation. He dismounted immediately, and next to him, Lord Corac followed. Immediately two townspeople came forward, eyes wide as both men handed the reins of their mounts over. Link also dismounted, though he stayed near Epona's side. "I am Lord Brennan, Lord of the Southern Provinces, and next to me is Lord Corac, The Royal Minister of Defense." At the awed murmurs that rose from the townspeople, he paused, smiling, flashing white teeth. Lord Corac smiled also, but his lips remained closed.

"Milord, your mount?" Link heard a tiny voice from next to him.

"Thank you. I will see to her myself," he said quietly.

The owner of the voice, a boy just entering adolescence, was about to utter a noise of protest when both lords turned to Link.

"And of course, as you've no doubt heard, we've brought Hyrule's Hero with us!"

Link tried not to look at the boy's automatic transformation. One moment the boy was nervous, and the next his eyes were glazed with both excitement and worship.

The crowd of townsfolk burst into cheers, and Link was obliged to wave and smile at them. In the crowd, he caught a couple girls push their way forward to look at them, and mentally prepared himself for the squeals that would soon accompany the cheers.

"Milord Hero…" the boy tried to speak again.

"Thank you for offering," Link said quietly, offering an apologetic smile, "But Epona won't let anyone else care for her." He wondered if this would cause resentment, but the boy continued to stare at him with wide-eyed awe.

"Hero, Mayor Baldwig is to lead us to the inn we'll be staying at tonight," Lord Corac said. "We'll get settled in our rooms then return here. A feast will be laid out in your honor."

"Ah," Link replied, not missing the warning. A feast in his honor meant he'd be required to say a few short words, though not a speech. Thankfully, the Heroes of the Legends had not been famed for their inspirational speeches, and no one seemed to expect him to do more than several lines; mostly empty phrases of how happy he was to see the people safe, and that everybody should work together to create a greater Hyrule. Then a wave a guilt went through him. What was happening to him, to think that such things were empty? Didn't he want Hyrule to prosper? Link bit his lower lip, disturbed by this uncharitable side of him.

The other soldiers were still astride their horses, and would remain so until they reached the stables. Afterwards they were to stand on guard, though once Link and the two lords began to eat they were allowed with the rest of the villagers to join in as well.

He felt the eyes of hundreds following him as he left with the others, a feeling that he knew he would never get used to. When he'd been with Midna, nothing good ever came after he'd felt the stares of watchful eyes. Now he had to suppress a reaction borne out of too many close calls as he walked in a crowd where he was the center of attention.

Then he felt it.

It had been the first time in months, but Link recognized it instantly. That all too familiar baleful glare, coupled with the flitting of shadows that were anything but chance. Link did nothing to move his head in the creature's direction, but his eyes wandered cautiously upward nevertheless. Now would not be the time to let the creature know that Link was aware of its existence.

Above them, so small as to be nearly invisible, was a kargarok, wheeling in the wind.

***

"He's still not used to it," Lord Brennan murmured quietly while they sat on the best chairs Darunia Town had to offer, presiding over a large table filled to the brim with food. Lord Brennan sat at the head sipping a mug of very questionable ale, while Corac sat to his right. The Hero, after saying his few words to start the feast, disappeared immediately once the feasting actually started, his seat conspicuously empty amid the festivities.

Unacceptable behavior of course.

Someone would have to find him before the townsfolk started asking questions, though many of them were making rapid inroads in both the beer and ale. Those would probably not notice until too late. He'd tried to warn the Hero earlier already, yet still…Corac decided he and the young man would need to have a quiet talk tonight on what was considered responsible behavior. No matter what the young man thought, he was no longer the hidden legendary Hero, but a public figure now.

"No soldier enjoys being stared at," Corac said. "You think the Hero is like one of the young foolish bravos at court. He is nothing of the sort."

"Your soldiers are enjoying the attentions of the ladies however," Lord Brennan said. Almost immediately they heard an excited squeal of a young girl chased by the raucous laughter of several men.

"Perhaps he's been alone for too long," Corac said, frowning at the noise behind him. It was probably Hode. The man had far too high an opinion of himself, though he was by far the best swordsmen of the soldiers who'd managed to survive the Twilii invasion. "I think it's time to pick up the Hero wherever he is and remind him that the feast had been made in _his honor_."

"Of course," Lord Brennan said with a slight chuckle. "I apologize for always sending you out to find him."

"Next time, it will be your turn," Corac said, standing up.

He never got around to searching for the errant young Hero though, because the next thing he heard was a scream.

"Monsters! They're here! _Attacking!_" Two young men burst through the celebrating crowd to fall on their knees in terror.

"What?" Mayor Baldwig, face red from alcohol, struggled to get on his feet. "The gate…"

The crashing sound of shattering wood and iron reverberated through the town, followed by the call of a horn, and the heavy hooves of… something. Perhaps several somethings. Loud inhuman squeals sounded from the town entrance, and several dark shapes emerged from the dust and growing shadow of twilight. First to appear were a pair of tusks—yellow, curved, and impossibly long— things that shouldn't belong on any creature that walked in the light. Corac tried to swallow, and found that his mouth was too dry to do so. He'd heard of bulbos of course, but to see one up close… no one had ever told him how big they were…

Once again, the horrible sound of trumpets filled the air.

Corac turned around, catching Lord Brennan's eye. The older lord, though unused to battle, managed to retain his composure, though he'd gone several shades paler.

"_They've broken through!_" another voice screamed, and this time the voice was accompanied by several others. Those in the back of the crowd began to scatter, screaming in terror.

"Hode! Fen, Rakins, find the others and arm yourselves. You're to lead the townsfolk to safety, the others are to come here and help us kill th—"

Something shot past him barely a hair's breadth away. Half a second later went another, so swift he could hear the sharp whistling as it moved through the air. Corac opened his mouth, and turned back toward the monsters just in time to see something small topple off the monstrous boar-like creature's back like a ragdoll. The second hit home as well and fell off in a similar manner.

"Hero…!"

Link ran past him so fast he was but a dull green blur to Corac's vision. The young man paused right in front of the podium, and shot off two more arrows in rapid succession. Both hit home, and yet two more creatures hit the ground, one limply bouncing and rolling along the ground before something stopped its movement. Like frightened mice, more townsfolk scattered to hug the sides of the square, including Mayor Baldwig.

The Hero had unsheathed his sword immediately after firing the shots, and stood his ground, left hand holding the gleaming blade upright, legs crouched low. Then he rushed forward, hitting the bulbos from a curved angle and skewering the monster neatly, but as he did so, the young man spun. To Corac's utter amazement, the creature spun with him, and it flew off to the right just in time to impact the second bulbos, unskewering itself to leave a floating trail of black blood. There was the sickening sound of bones cracking as both creatures squealed in pain, then fell silent.

Corac remembered where he was, and that he had a duty to do.

"What are you doing standing there watching him?" Corac shouted angrily at his men. The gathered soldiers had been watching the Hero dumbly where they stood. All of them had their mouths hanging open. "Those can't be all of them!" He turned back to the Hero. "Hero, do you know—!"

The Hero was on the roof of the town blacksmith, sword sheathed. Corac blinked, unable to comprehend how the young man had gotten up there so quickly. There had been the sound of chains and metal, but that explained nothing. Displaying incredible balance upon the unstable clay tiles of the roof, the Hero easily stood where he was, bow full drawn, with an arrow nocked and ready.

Corac bit back his words, glaring at the young man furiously. He must have known! The Hero must have known that this was coming.

_Why hadn't he told us?_

"Go along with the villagers and see to their safety," he ordered the soldiers.

They nodded nervously, and ran in the direction of the townsfolk, who hadn't moved much from where they were, clutching the walls of the buildings surrounding the town center and shivering where they stood. Perhaps aside from outside the town, there was nowhere else for them to go, but Corac doubted it. Like him, they were mesmerized by the Hero, who had appeared from nowhere and without warning.

The rest of the soldiers joined them, turning their backs to the villagers and unsheathing swords and shields. They stood their ground, though each man shook beneath their armor. These were not creatures any normal man could stand against.

Two more sounds of flying arrows came from above. There was a pause, and then Corac lost count as the Hero repeatedly shot his arrows into the sky at an enemy Corac hadn't noticed until now. Belatedly he remembered that not all monsters came from the ground.

Seconds later two giant flying monsters looking like an unholy mix of raptor and bat fell to the earth next to the monstrous boars. Kargaroks. Almost immediately there began the sound of rhythmic cracking as dozens of smaller, black birds followed to lie in a growing pool of black blood. Corac had never seen guays before. He suddenly realized that he never wanted to see a guay again.

With a neat jump and a roll, the Hero was off the rooftops and back in the square. He didn't seem to notice Corac or anyone else as he stood quietly in the middle of the square, but Corac had caught a faint glimpse of the Hero's eyes as he had passed him. Flashing a violent blue, there'd been something in those eyes that had made the Hero otherworldly, and nothing in them felt remotely human. What'd he'd seen… Corac shook violently as he tried to erase the image from his mind.

_The Hero's a monster._

Then they came. Out of the dust, Corac made out dozens of screeching monsters, carrying rusty blades nearly the monsters' height, their mottled skin purple and black under the shadows of the setting sun. The front line paused, as one of them shrieked a challenge, brandishing its blade. He'd heard tales of bokoblins from some of his men of course. They were stupider than the bulblins that had ridden the bulbos, but tended to be tougher and stronger. No sane man went against more than one. As more walked out from beyond the shadows, Corac counted at least thirty of the creatures, each armed with a similar blade.

The Hero unsheathed his sword again. It glowed orange from the setting sun, flashing white for a brief second as he lowered it toward the ground. He held his shield in his right arm, an insignificant detail that startled Corac for a moment despite the gravity of the situation at hand.

"He can't mean to…" Corac heard Lord Brennan whisper behind him.

Link rushed forward. The sword flashed again, and Corac's eyes followed the route of the severed head of the first bokoblin as it arced into the air. It hadn't reached the ground yet before another attacked, raising its rusty blade upwards. A second later it screamed in agony as its guts spilled out onto the earth in a tumble of green ichor. No creature waited after that, rushing in until the Hero was practically hidden in a sea of monsters, but like a demon, the Hero avoided their blades. Each flash of the blade was followed by screams of dying monsters along with the Hero's battle cries. His moves seemed choreographed, too perfect to be real, moving with a rapid fluidity that was as deadly as it was beautiful.

In a few marks only three of what had been over two dozen bokoblins remained. Two of them charged him from opposite directions, but the Hero spun, sending them both flying. A severed leg skittered across the ground to rest near Corac's feet. The last one, seeing the others all dead, turned to run.

With a running leap the Hero knocked himself into the monster from behind, sending the creature flying where it fell face first. The creature let out one terrified screech that was cut short as Link violently skewered it, its feet beating staccatos into the blood-soaked earth beneath before it finally stilled in death.

When it was all over, the town fell into deathly silence.

***

Link felt the last shudder of the bokoblin as it vibrated up his sword. It would have to be resharpened, for all that he'd spent the time during the feast doing just that. There were far too many nicks along the edge, though it had cut well enough during the battle. Putting one knee against the rapidly cooling body of the last standing bokoblin, Link tugged. The sword, caught in the bones and tissues of the creature, refused to budge.

"Hero."

He looked up to see Lord Brennan. In the growing darkness it was hard to tell what expression was on the lord's face, but Link doubted that it was pleasant.

"Yes, Lord Brennan?"

"Are you hurt?"

There were the normal aches and pains that came after a battle, but Link felt no lancing pain that would have indicated that he'd been stabbed or cut. At least not yet.

"I don't know," Link said. With one hand still on the hilt of his sword, he gave another tug. This time the sword was more responsive, managing to slide out completely, accompanied by a squelching noise and the bitter-sour smell of bokoblin blood. He wiped his sword against the trouser leg of the creature, but did not sheathe his sword.

"You don't know," Lord Brennan said evenly.

"It takes time to feel these things," Link said, knowing that the explanation would do little for the lord.

"You saved us all. Without you we would have all been killed," Lord Brennan said. "You have my gratitude."

For some reason the lord refused to come near him, staying several feet away. Link noticed Lord Corac also standing away, though he could see the displeasure clearly on the defense minister's face. Why, he had no idea, but Link didn't want to hear it, whatever it was.

"Hero… did you know that an attack like this would occur?" Lord Corac said.

"I had some idea."

"Then why, in the name of the Three Goddesses didn't you tell us?" the man said growing louder with every word until he was shouting. "You left yourself without support, little reinforcement, and what's more yo—"

"I'm not one of your soldiers, Lord Corac," Link interrupted, his voice sounding uncharacteristically harsh even to his own ears. The man fell silent, and Link caught a twinge of something in the man's eyes. He felt the fear like a blow to the gut, but the adrenaline from the battle was still there, and it sustained him. "As you no doubt know, my lords," Link continued, trying to ignore the fear now coming from both men's eyes, "_the_ _Hero_ _fights alone_."

He left both men there as he made his way past the bodies of the rapidly decomposing monsters. It was an odd property of all of Hyrule's monsters, but once killed, they begin to decompose almost immediately. There was nothing of the bulblins left other than the weapons they'd carried. The same went for half the bokoblins, and nothing remained of the kargaroks or the guays. Soon there will be nothing left—but the townsfolk—_they_ will never forget.

Following him were the watchful eyes of the townsfolk. Until now, Link had not thought anything could get worse, but he was wrong. This time, they held something worse than awe or worship.

The people of Darunia Town had welcomed the Hero with open arms.

In the morning, they will see him off in fear.


	4. Chapter Four: Kakariko Village

**A/N:** I actually had this finished for a while. Debated whether I should add more, or save it for the next chapter, and finally realized that it was all simply an excuse to procrastinate. As always, comments are appreciated. I love hearing how you guys feel about this. Thank you.

**Chapter Four: Kakariko Village**

The fire was hot.

Link stayed as far away as he could from it while still allowing its light to illuminate him. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck, and Link could feel more forming on his forehead, which he was too tired to wipe away. He consoled himself with the fact that this was, at least, not Gerudo desert; though if he'd been there instead, Link would have been shivering in the darkness and welcoming the warmth of the campfire, not shunning it. Eldin province may be dry, but it was still no desert. In the middle of high summer, even at night it remained uncomfortably warm.

They had decided to make a fire anyway.

If Link had been traveling alone, he wouldn't have bothered to. He'd traveled through the province enough to know the hidden, safe spots—the tiny caves only the sharp sense of the wolf could have discovered. When Midna had been with him, there were times when he'd ask her to transform him into a wolf rather than bother to set up camp. What wouldn't think twice about attacking a lone man would think twice about attacking a wolf. But Link was no longer alone. And Midna was no longer with him. And in a group as large as theirs, a fire was necessary, not just for warmth, but for sight, and above all, safety.

The burning wood popped and crackled, and Link, no longer able to bear the heat, finally decided to stand up and walk to the edge of the camp. He doubted any creature of the dark would attack them here, and he was confident enough of his skills to feel that he could defend himself from any attack. Assuming of course, that the ones who were roaming the plain were organized enough to attack. Link doubted that too. Especially not after the slaughter at Darunia Town. Bokoblins and bulbins may not be as bright as humans, but the survival instinct was just as strong.

They'd come back eventually, but for now, the monsters would remain hidden.

Soft whispers drifted from the shadows. Link caught the flash of metal in the darkness, and then heard another quality to the voices, something that made him flash briefly in jealousy.

"So then she swung her hips toward my face, yeah? And when I reached to—"

"Cop a feel like the perv you are? Did she smack you afterward?"

Four separate snickers sounded from the darkness, weaving together to blend into a solid whole against the fifth voice, which had started spluttering after the comment. Link recognized the voices, identifying each of the voices belonging to the five soldiers who were on night watch duty. Or supposed to be. He stifled a smile. If Lord Corac found out… but Link had no intention of rousing the defense minister from his sleep to tell.

There was a pebble against his foot, and Link deliberately kicked it to announce his presence. In an instant, all the voices froze.

"… Who's there?"

In the darkness, Link could see all of them turning toward the direction where the pebble landed. He stifled a sigh. It wasn't where the pebble landed that was important: it was from where it had been kicked. He coughed.

The soldiers whirled around toward him.

"Ah… it's you, Hero," one of the soldiers said, relaxing slightly, but the fear and tension was still palpable. In fact, it had increased, not lessened. Link tried his best to ignore it.

"Good evening, Hode," Link said in as pleasant a tone as he could manage.

"Good evening, milord Hero," Hode replied, and Link could hear the nervous quality to the man's voice. The man was the boldest of all the soldiers though, and the most influential.

"I wanted to take a walk."

"Ah, well, seeing as it's you, milord Hero, that… that should be no problem," Hode said.

"Probably not," Link agreed easily. At such easy acknowledgment Hode fell silent, and Link cursed himself for reminding the man of the battle at Darunia Town. He struggled, trying to think of something to turn the situation around. "I was terrified the first time I fought," he said.

"Oh," Hode said weakly. "Well, them bokoblins are mighty scary."

Link resisted a smile. "My first enemy was a deku baba," he said, naming the ferocious plant that tended to dwell in dark, moist areas. While annoying and startling the first time anyone encountered them, the plants were easily killed, usually with a torch by the villagers, or with a simple swipe of a stick or scythe.

At this admission, Link sensed the rest of the soldiers gathering closer behind Hode.

"They're all right if you're wearing armor," Hode said.

"I was wearing ordinary clothes," Link said. "But carrying a wooden sword. And I was still terrified."

"What'd you do?" It was Fen.

"Hugged the walls as best I could and ran away," Link admitted. He was pleased to see the shock and surprise on all the men's faces.

"You ran away?" said yet another soldier in disbelief. Link saw that it was Pahmer.

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Didn't think the Hero'd run away from a silly deku baba," another soldier mumbled, only to be violently shushed by the others.

"I didn't run away the second time," Link said.

"Why not?"

"It was blocking the way."

"… You could have turned back," Rakins said.

"No, I couldn't," Link said, turning grave. "One of my friends had been captured and taken into the forest. There was no other path."

Silence then, but not fearful. Link could feel the men standing there quietly, slowly digesting Link's words.

"You didn't have a choice," Pahmer said thoughtfully.

"Yes, I did," Link said. "Everybody does. I could have turned back and asked someone else to do it."

"If'n you did that, you wouldn't be the Hero," Sal said, speaking up for the first time.

"Would you have given up over a deku baba?" Link asked.

"Well, over one of those? No, but…"

"Then what makes you so different from the Hero?"

Sal didn't answer.

Link didn't mention that soon after facing the deku babas he'd had to tangle with two bokoblins with nothing but a wooden sword. That wasn't important though. He could feel a connection starting to build between him and the soldiers, and Link desperately wanted, hoped that the message he was trying to send would reach them.

"I… I don' suppose you'd be willing to teach us a little sword work every now and then, milord Hero?" Hode suddenly asked.

The smile that bloomed on Link's face was genuine, the first one he'd made since the journey had started.

"I'd be happy to."

***

Brennan rolled over on his cot, his brows furrowed in thought. He hadn't been able to hear much of the conversation, but the emotions were read easily enough. So the boy was finally making friends. But not with him, Lord Brennan, or with Corac. That was…

Well, he'd doubted that the boy would make overtures to Corac, not after the way Corac had lost his temper when they'd been at Darunia Town. And the boy was probably still uncomfortable around Brennan, but that was all to the good as far as Brennan was concerned. He just hadn't thought that the boy would be ready to open up to _anyone_, especially not now. For the past month the boy had been completely withdrawn, so it seemed odd that Link would choose to begin making overtures, especially when the incident in Darunia Town was still fresh in all their minds. After the incident, things should have left the boy _more_ isolated and withdrawn, not trying to make friends with the common soldiers.

Brennan suppressed a shudder as the memory of that battle swept through him. He did not want to admit that it had frightened him. Would not admit it. Nor would he admit that he'd fallen terribly short in his estimation of the boy, who was far more formidable than he'd expected. Normal men did not come out of a battle against thirty monsters unscathed. He'd seen the fear in all the peasants afterward. The soldiers had been nervous. They should still be. One did not forget what had happened in a hurry. Yet from the friendly voices in the dark, Brennan sensed that they'd quickly put that aside.

A memory niggled at him. The face, belonging to the large mayor of Ordon Village, surfaced in his mind.

_"He is… was in training to be the next Mayor."_

Such a statement meant nothing without context. At the time, Brennan had assumed it indicated competency and intelligence, which he'd seen plenty of evidence for throughout this journey. He had not thought that charisma was a part of that. Until now.

Charisma, coupled by intelligence and competency, not to mention physical prowess, was very, very dangerous.

Closing his eyes, Brennan turned over again, trying to sleep. He could not.

***

The forms of the rocks and cliff faces started to take a familiar shape around late afternoon. Link looked up, surprised by the twinge of happiness he felt when he saw the wooden bridge that indicated they were close to Kakariko Village. Until now, he had not realized how much he had missed the place.

"Kakariko Village is just over the bridge and between the two cliff faces," he said quietly to Lord Brennan, who had seemed unusually stiff and silent all day. The lord nodded, and motioned for two of the soldiers to ride on ahead.

"You're familiar with this village," Lord Brennan said.

"I came here often," Link said.

"Ah. Then the residences should recognize your face."

Link did not reply. It had been half a year ago when he had last come to Kakariko Village. Until the lords came to find him Link had not left Ordon at all. A lot of things could change during six months. Link hoped that more settlers have since gone to Kakariko Village.

"When I was in Kakariko, only three people truly lived there," Link said quietly.

Lord Brennan paled, but the odd wording in Link's reply encouraged him to continue talking.

"You say 'truly' lived there. What do you mean?"

"Four of those were children from my home village who'd been kidnapped by monsters," Link said.

"But they're safe now."

"Yes. They've gone home."

"Ah." Link watched the older man quietly, searching for a sign of a reaction. The lord suddenly chuckled. "Nothing you say about your travels is ever meant to be comforting, is it?"

Link waited, knowing Lord Brennan was going to say more.

"Then again, they wouldn't be," Lord Brennan said. Something glinted darkly in the man's light brown eyes. "You should be glad that your responsibilities are over."

There was something about the way the man said the last sentence that made Link feel a chill run down his spine. He turned his head back toward the road, silently thinking, but even as their route took them through the southern entrance past the heavy, iron wrought gates, he still couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

He spotted a flutter of movement ahead of him. It was a child, rapidly scurrying off the boulders that must serve as a watch post, and running back toward the village.

"They're here!" Link could hear the child cry, shrill with excitement.

A moment later he felt Fen and Sal pass him by with the banners, going on ahead to prepare the villagers for their presence. For once Link did not dread the welcome, but he was pleasantly surprised to see a child. It couldn't have been Luda. Link would have recognized her, and Luda was a very self-possessed child, certainly not the type to run back home shrieking excitedly.

When they arrived at the village square, Link saw the child again, a little boy with smooth black hair, eagerly hopping up and down before a woman dressed in a heavy, brown skirt of soft animal hide. There were other people beside her: a heavyset man with the arms of a blacksmith, a pale woman with shrewd eyes and the reddest hair Link had ever seen. There were many more, and Link found his heart lifting to see the formerly dead village once again repopulated. The little boy was not the only child. Link spied a couple bright eyes amongst the eager adults, peeking behind skirts and trousers.

"Well, I shoulda known you'd be the one!" came a familiar drawl. He saw a glint of metal and Link felt his smile broadening at the sight of the pot-bellied man, the protective mask he always wore riding atop his head. "We heard they were parading the Hero around like a prized bull. Who'd be the hero, we wondered. Figured we of Kakariko would be the best people to judge whether their Hero's an imposter or not, and well…!" Barnes grinned.

"Do I pass your scrutiny?" Link said, unable to suppress his smile to properly deadpan the words.

Barnes laughed anyway.

"Full marks!" he said, holding out a thumb to the burst of laughter by the other villagers.

"Barnes!" It was a quiet yet forceful voice, full of exasperation at Barnes' obvious clowning.

Link turned in the voice's direction, his heart lighting when he saw whose voice it was. Accompanying Renado was Luda, who had grown since Link had last seen her. Her face gave the appearance of calm, but Link could see the flush in her cheeks. Renado was as grave as always. Before greeting Link, he turned to the two lords, bowing elegantly as only he could, looking regal despite the red dust staining his robe.

"As shaman of Kakariko Village, I greet you, Noble Lords of Hyrule."

"And we greet you also," Lord Brennan said, his face a friendly mask. "I am Lord Brennan of the South."

"I greet you as Defense Minister of Hyrule, Lord Corac," Lord Corac said.

"I see that we do not need to introduce the Hero to the people of Kakariko Village," Lord Brennan said heartily, looking for all the world like he was amused, but Link knew better.

"For the rest of Hyrule, the Hero may be a figure shrouded in myth, but for those of us who have witnessed his deeds first hand, he is very real," Renado replied, his face a cool facade.

"I look forward to hearing of them," Lord Brennan said.

"That I will do so gladly, once you and your men have settled. We have prepared a place for you, and good food and drink."

"That's good to hear."

Renado turned to Link. "I believe you know where your room is," he said.

"I do," Link said, smiling.

"There's a stable beside the inn now," Renado added. "Your mounts will be taken care of there. Luda, show them the way."

"Yes father."

The girl passed by Link, daring only the briefest of looks before taking the lead.

"Link," Renado said, just as Link was about to follow the lords and soldiers. The shaman gave him a genuine smile. "It is good to see you again."

"And I, you."

"Yes," the man murmured, his eyes darkening. "We have much to talk about, you and I."

"Lord Brennan and Lord Corac…"

"Among other things." The man looked at the figures disappearing into the inn. "But that can wait. First, you will eat, and rest. You will find that much has changed here."

"Not that much," one of the newer members of the village said softly. It was the woman with the heavy brown skirt, the little boy by her side clinging tightly to them, and giggling. "Those of us who chose to move to Kakariko Village are of a kind, you'll soon discover, and I don't refer merely to family."

"My younger sister, Cerana," Renado said. "She and her son were the first to move here."

"I'm glad to meet you," Link said.

"Have no worries Link, Hero of Hyrule. You are among friends here," Cerena said, her brown eyes suddenly dark with age that did not match her assuming youth.

"We will see you after you have settled," Renado said. Then he turned around and left, the rest of the villagers heading home, presumably to finish whatever preparations they had been making for Link's arrival.

Alone again, Link headed toward the inn, Epona following obediently behind him.


	5. Chapter Five: The Burdens We Carry

**A/N: **It's been far too long since my last update hasn't it? In the past year I've been first busy with moving back to the US, then once I did, applying for grad school. I'm happy to say that both have been resolved. I hope this means my muse will give me more ideas to write. My sincerest apologies to all of my very patient readers. I hope you can still enjoy the story.

**Chapter Five: The Burdens We Carry**

Corac turned at the sound of the knock. Soon after the door opened to reveal a large, monster of a man, his wide shoulders barely fitting through the door. He was oddly hairless, giving his face an egg-shaped look, which was so at odds with the rest of him that it was somewhat reassuring. In each hand he carried a giant bucket of water that would normally take all the strength of one man to hold.

" 'ere with the bath, milord," the man said. Then looking back out into the hallway, jerked his head forward. At the motion two more men entered, carrying an empty wooden tub between them. "I'll jus' pour this into the tub, milord, and we'll be on our way," he said, face expressionless.

Corac approached the tub, now halfway filled with water. He frowned.

"The water's cold."

"Aye," the giant man agreed readily, friendly despite his appearance. "It's an 'ot day out, and village custom's a cold bath first. The place's riddled wi' natural 'ot springs, see. If y'wish an 'ot soak you can after you're clean milord. There's a spring right 'bove the inn."

"I see."

It was why, moments later, Corac emerged from his room clean but still sore, loosely dressed in a simple white tunic and trousers. A servant woman gave him the directions to the hot spring, and he was soon dubiously making his way up the wide, rocky incline above the inn. Gradually the air became warm and humid, tinged with the smell of sulfur. Encouraged by this, Corac walked faster. He heard the sound of deep, male laughter a second later, and frowned. Corac had not wanted to share his hot soak with anyone else. Perhaps they would leave when they saw who he was.

As he got closer, he saw his path blocked by a wall made half with rock and wood, which split into two other paths. Arrows with crude drawings attached to the side pointed one way or the other: the right proved to be the women's section, and the left, the men's.

"… Can't believe I never thought it was you!" Corac heard someone roar appreciatively. Then he heard an all too familiar voice.

"I didn't mean to keep it a secret, but…"

"Oh, no worries about that lad. We Gorons understand. You had enough troubles without dealing with us."

"I knew," Corac heard another say sullenly, the deep bass voice a sharp contrast to the little-boy image that the tone conjured.

"Aye, well you _would_ know wouldn't you Dangoro," the first voice said with amusement, "seeing that our young Hero's the first to have bested you."

"Got no job 'cause of him now." Still petulant. "Nothing to guard. And the lava'd _hurt_."

"Do you want me to return the Hero's Bow?" It was Link's voice again, not at all repentant, but just as obviously polite.

"No! No no… no. You can keep it!"

"Dangoro doesn't want the extended holiday you've given him cut short," another voice said almost slyly.

The whining Goron's yelp of protest was barely heard over everybody's laughter.

Gorons! Corac flinched instinctively at the idea of joining them, but somehow his legs kept moving, and he suddenly found himself at the hot spring. There were four Gorons of varying size soaking in the pool. Corac immediately flashed back to the giant man who had brought his bath water, reminded of the incongruity of the man's features by the absurd difference in the Gorons before him. One was so large that he cast a shadow over the entire spring, while the smallest Goron was so wizened with age that he barely came up to Corac's waist. All of them wore nothing more than a loin wrap, not that they wore anything else normally. All four turned to look at Corac when he appeared, their expressions for the most part welcoming, though the giant Goron was clearly sulking.

The Hero turned around from where he'd been having his conversation with a Goron of middling height, his face revealing nothing.

"Please join us Lord Corac," Link said with a faint smile.

"Ah…"

Corac was not quite sure how to approach the situation. He shifted uncomfortably where he stood. The Hero wore nothing but a scrupulously tied towel around his waist, looking more relaxed with the Gorons than he did among his own kind.

"Another human!" the Goron next to Link shouted enthusiastically. "The area has become lively now that there are more. Hero, do you know if anymore will come?"

"You'd best ask Renado," Link answered with a genuine smile. "But I don't see why more humans wouldn't move here." To Corac's amazement, the young man immediately gave a languorous stretch, revealing well developed abdominal muscles, then sank deep into the hot pool until only his head was above the water.

The Gorons roared appreciatively.

"No hot springs elsewhere to soak your bones after a hard day's work!" the elderly Goron said.

"Hah. Only humans get aches and pains from their labors. Gorons are never tired!" another boasted, thumping himself in the chest.

"I heard you whining about hauling rock yesterday Borgo. You're no better!"

Once again the Gorons laughed, Borgo laughing good-naturedly along with them.

Only the Hero didn't laugh, though he smiled. Corac felt the Hero's eyes turn to him before actually seeing them—the bright, intense blue that had so frightened him during the battle at Darunia Town.

"There's a changing room to your right with towels and a place to put your clothes," Link said quietly.

Somehow Corac managed to get out a smooth reply.

Thank you Hero, but I didn't come for a soak," he said.

"You didn't?" the Hero said, looking genuinely disappointed. Murmured softly, it felt like a challenge.

"The feast…"

The Gorons had fallen eerily silent as they watched them, their alien faces impossible to read in the early twilight.

"I've been assured that the feast will not happen until full night." Link sat up, the expression on his face looking more like the innocent peasant he had first appeared than the dangerous man Corac now knew him to be. "It is still barely twilight…"

It was so earnest. Corac could not quite suppress his admiration at the young man's ability, skilled despite his obvious lack of training. But he could not forget the heavy shadows under the setting sun, and the monster who had battled against beasts lesser than it was.

"I will see you later at the feast," Corac said.

Even when he was back in his room, Corac could not quite shake the feeling that he had just managed to escape from the jaws of a wolf.

* * *

Link managed to suppress the sigh that threatened to come out after Lord Corac had run away. Yes, run away. From him, Link, the Hero. Link, who had never raised a hand against any creature of the light. It was a sickening feeling. Not for the first time, he regretted that outburst of temper after the fight at Darunia Town. And the repercussions from that outburst have not ended. Some haven't even begun. He had a feeling that some of them would be a long time in coming, and dreaded it.

The Gorons looked curiously at him afterward, the easy atmosphere before Lord Corac's arrival broken into awkward silence.

"Hero, that man was afraid of you."

It was the Elder Gor Coron who spoke.

"I know."

"News came to us before you arrived. We heard that Darunia Town was attacked by dark creatures. And that you were there."

Link shifted uncomfortably in the water. He was not surprised that such news had arrived ahead of him. But he couldn't quite suppress his feelings of resentment and frustration, and he knew that it showed. Not quite trusting himself to say anything he wouldn't regret later, Link went with a neutral question.

"How was the news received?"

"I can only speak for myself, but after I heard the news, and the opinions of the one who brought it… I can only say," the elder sighed, "I can only say that our forebears were wise to allow the identity of the Hero to slip into the shadows of history."

"It's too late for that," Link said sadly.

"The Princess should have understood this," another Elder, Gor Ebizo muttered. "What was she thinking?"

"Such a thing is pointless to discuss," Gor Coron snapped. "But it would not be too farfetched to think that Her Highness too is but a single person, and she is only one against the entire Council."

A hushed silence followed.

"Do you think the Council is controlling the Princess?" another Goron asked, this time turning to Link. He was, after all, the only person who had actually met the princess.

"She is a strong person," Link said, thinking of the single-lined letter he had received from her. "I don't believe she would let that happen."

"Then we'll have to hope that she knows what she's doing," Gor Coron said, folding his arms across his chest and nodding firmly. "And in the meantime…"

Link suddenly found himself the center of wide, Goron grins.

It was the last clear thing he saw before a rock hard hand unceremoniously pushed him into the deeper part of the pool. Gasping and choking, but managing to free himself, the rest of the bath was filled with the appreciative roars of the gorons, and his own, recently too-rare laughter.

* * *

_Your Majesty,_

_By the time this report reaches you we will hopefully be safe in Impa Town. The journey goes well, and the people have reacted to our mission with overwhelming enthusiasm. _

Zelda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. There were maids cleaning out the fireplace at the moment, and it wouldn't do to have them reporting that their ruler had been rolling her eyes like an errant adolescent.

_It is advised that you hasten the work being done on the barracks, for I believe that they will be needed sooner, rather than later. _

As much as she was uncomfortable with the entire purpose of Lord Brennan's mission, it was hard to deny the results. Conscripts _have_ been trickling in by a steadily increasing amount. Even without Lord Brennan's input, work had already started on the barracks, with plans to make more. The only person displeased with this was Lord Markis, who was probably annoyed at the fewer numbers of young men left to tend their fields.

_Though our journey has continued, for the most part, in safety and comfort, it is my regret to inform you that portions of the eastern Fields are still too dangerous for travelers. You will have received the report on the attack of Darunia Town by now. While we were saved due to the courageous actions of the Hero, it is highly advisable that plans for a permanent military base for the eastern fields begin now. It is not wise to burden our Hero with too much. _

Lord Brennan was skilled, Zelda admitted to herself, as she reread the paragraph yet another time. If she had been anyone else, she wouldn't have seen the warning that the last sentence represented. Until now the lord had seen the Hero as a tool, to be shaped and perhaps, thrown away once the events had passed. But now circumstances had changed, and Zelda knew, with a clarity of vision, just what would happen next.

Suddenly she was tired. Tired of ruling, tired of politics, tired of having to justify her position to a group of petty nobles more preoccupied with their status than the good of Hyrule. Her eyes trailed to her right hand, and rested on the telltale mark there. There were times when she was still surprised that it was there, and those were becoming more often now, as she looked at the golden mark that identified her as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. Did the fact that it remained mean that the Goddesses still thought her worthy? Or were they having second thoughts even now, and debating on whom they should bestow the honor upon next?

She wished with all her heart that there was someone she could talk to. Only the ones who knew the truth of the Twilii invasion could truly understand. One was beyond her now, while the other was embroiled in his own struggles, struggles she herself had created with her own indecisiveness and lack of forethought.

_If Midna were to see her now…_

"How she would laugh," she said, startling one of the maids. Zelda ignored her, and after a few moments, the maid went back to tending the fireplace.

Her Twilight counterpart had been wiser than perhaps she'd known when she'd destroyed the Mirror. Now there was no link, no evidence, no path to reach her or her people. The way Hyrule was now, if Zelda had not given up the Hero as a sacrificial lamb, the nobles would have been clamoring for a punitive force to punish the Twilii for what had happened. Certainly such a thing would have united the country just as much as what Lord Brennan was doing now, and satisfied her people's need for revenge, even if it meant lashing out at the greater victims of the Twilii invasion, the Twlii themselves. That things could have taken a worse path, but had not, was not comforting. Even gone, Midna was proving that she would have been a far worthier bearer than Zelda herself.

The mark shone in her hand, reminding her yet again of its presence, and the burden that presence represented. Briefly her mind flashed back to the moment when she and the Hero had finally united to fight Ganondorf together. As she recalled the feel of the Hero's mount beneath her, the Arrows of Light in her hand, Zelda remembered that in that moment, the Hero had never looked back at her, not even to make sure of her comfort. His trust in her abilities then had been absolute.

And he still retained that trust, Zelda realized. Even though she had failed him once already, twice if she counted the fact that he had fought her while she'd still been a puppet under Ganon's power.

She could hear Midna's mocking laughter, and couldn't help but smile a little in response. It hadn't just been the Hero who had trusted her after all. Now was the time to earn that trust, to truly come into her power.

"Rilla," she said, summoning one of her ladies-in-waiting from a separate chamber. The woman appeared in the doorway of the adjoining room, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "Tell the seneschal that there are things I wish to discuss with him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Her seneschal arrived a few moments later, his face carefully neutral. Normally Zelda preferred to have her discussion with the seneschal in the late evening, to go over the finer details of the Council meetings. It was still mid-morning.

"Lord Varsh," she greeted. Not waiting for the man to reply, she continued, "Have a list and a map of all the lands belonging to the Crown on my desk in an hour, if you please."

"Your Majesty?" he said, quite clearly taken aback.

"Lord Brennan believes that a permanent military post should be created in the eastern Fields," Zelda said. "I agree with his assessment, and will need to determine which area is best for this post. As Lord Corac is the best man to assess this, have a copy made of the lands to him with my instructions. Have him reply with his choices in a week's time at the latest."

"Aaah, understood, Your Majesty. Shall I inform Lord Markis of this as well, since this is a part of his jurisdiction?"

"He will be informed during the Council Meeting this afternoon."

Lord Varsh rightly recognized this as a dismissal and left without saying anything else. Zelda found herself smiling. It was only the beginning, and will take further work, but a path was visible now.

_Are you still laughing, Midna? _

The laughter in her head only grew louder.


End file.
